Uttarakhand crisis: Centre moves HC challenging its order for floor test

Dehradun: The Centre on Wednesday moved the Uttarakhand High Court challenging an interim order by a single bench directing a floor test in the Assembly on March 31, days after President's Rule was imposed in the state.

A petition was mentioned before a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice K M Joseph and Justice V K Bisht by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi on behalf of the central government.

Read: Uttarakhand: Cong to take legal recourse for allowing 9 MLAs to vote in floor test?

The petition sought clarity on whether the floor test can be held in the state Assembly after the promulgation of President's rule when the House is in suspended animation.

After a two-day hearing on a writ petition challenging the imposition of President's rule in the state, the single judge bench of Justice U C Dhyani in an interim order yesterday directed a floor test in the Assembly on March 31 and allowed even the nine disqualified rebel MLAs of the Congress to vote during the exercise.

Read: Uttrakhand: Rebel Congress MLAs move HC against their disqualification

Filed by former chief minister Harish Rawat through his counsel and senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the writ petition has Union of India as the respondent.